


Fare Thee Well

by shipping_express



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Mention of alcohol and drunkenness, No one actually gets hurt, Prostitution, Somewhat non-con kissing, Surprise Kissing, Threat of sexual violence towards a minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 00:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3361640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipping_express/pseuds/shipping_express
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Younger women and drunken pirates do not always mix nicely, as Captain Edward Kenway is about to find out. But what will become of the threatened lass he finds fleeing from a particularly threatening bunch?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fare Thee Well

**Author's Note:**

> At a certain point within the storyline (after Edward kills the Commodore), we can see him getting up from sleeping with a supposed whore/NPC before talking to the Kidd and heading out on his next task. This seems a bit out of character for Edward, so this is one explanation for why he was with her and what they were doing. This is all, of course, headcanon and not canon--but I think it makes more sense for our dear pirate captain.

**Fare Thee Well**

            Great Inagua was always bustling with activity of some sort, be it good or ill, but tonight it was more lively than usual. There were more visiting ships in the harbor than usual, due to some rumored battle at sea, and their inhabitants were celebrating one last drunken night of vacation before returning to their work. This meant that every barkeeper and barmaid were pushed to the fullest that night, trying to keep up with rapidly draining cups and rowdy men. The various prostitutes of the island were also hard-pressed to make some cash while staying relatively in one piece at the same time.

            But the newer the whore, the more they had to learn.

            A barely clothed redhead tore through a side street, stumbling and tripping over the garbage strewn throughout the alley but not stopping for anything. A drunken mix of bellowing laughter and furious yelling followed her every step. She wasn’t afraid of the noise, exactly, but she did fear the insistent pirates behind them.

            She had been attempting to navigate her way around a small crowd of drunken, fighting pirates, which had been her first mistake. One particularly wasted one had stopped her with a strong grip on her arm. He’d asked the “pretty lass” for a kiss in a rather unorthodox place, and at her response, he’d shaken her like a mangy cat. He kept loudly demanding her body, and when several of his buddies started joining in and attempting to touch her, the young girl had been forced to run for her life.

            Yes, she often sold her body in situations similar to this, but that didn’t mean she had to agree to every contract. And this one was definitely not something she wanted—not at all.

            She had nearly lost them when she broke out onto a main road and collided against what felt like a brick wall. She fell back from the impact, landing on her back on the street.

            “Are you alright, lass?”

            She looked up just in time to see a blonde man hold out a helping hand. She took it, mildly confused, and got back to her feet. “Y-yes, sir, my apologies,” she spoke quickly. “I didn’t mean to run into you.”

            He smiled warmly but glanced over her shoulder. “It’s nothing to fret over, lass. But what were you running from, hmm?”

            The girl checked to see that no one was behind her. Drunk as they were, the pirates hadn’t caught up to her yet, but judging by the noises they were making, they hadn’t yet given up their chase.

            “Nothing, sir,” she lied quickly. “But I must be on my way.” She tried to push past him, ignoring the rudeness that must be associated with such an action, but his arm stopped her.

            “You’re running from something, lass. Perhaps I can help.” He spoke seriously and quietly, almost as if he was a predator. She got the distinct impression that he could be dangerous if prompted, even though he had been kind to her. The fact that even she could tell he had far too many weapons hidden on his person aided in that observation, of course.

            “I-it’s just…some violent potential customers, sir,” she stumbled. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.” She tried to look confident, but she had too transparent of a face for that.

            He raised an eyebrow. “They’ve been trying to hurt you, have they?”

            She swallowed. “T-to an extent, sir.”

            The man rolled his neck and flexed his shoulders a little, in anticipation. “I’ll see to it that they stop that nonsense.”

            The girl’s eyes widened immediately. “No! Please sir, I don’t mean to cause any trouble! They’re all ridiculously drunk; I doubt they even understand what it is they’re doing. Please, it’ll be the talk of the town if a fight ensues because of me.” The thought of what her regular clients might do—or not do—because of a bad reputation scared her. They were the only steady means of income she had, and without them, she didn’t eat.

            The man paused a moment, eyeing her carefully, before sighing and dropping his fists to his sides. “Alright, lass, alright. But I won’t let them hurt you on my island.”

            “ _Your_ island?” she asked, barely breathing as she figured out what was happening.

            The man grinned a little cockily at her before holding out a hand. “Captain Edward Kenway at your service, lass. And if you don’t mind, I’m going to kiss you now.”

            Before she could react, Edward wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her in tight. He kissed her forcibly on the lips and didn’t pull away for several seconds.

            With a slightly slurred accent to his words, Edward started dragging her away from the area on his arm. “Come along, lass! Treat me right, will ye?”

            The girl had no time to even think, much less react, so she let herself be dragged down the street. For a second, she feared her life was still going to be taken, albeit by another pirate. But as her feet stumbled along the uneven road, she could see the original gang of pirates out of the corner of her eye. Even in the short, fleeting glimpse she got of them, she could tell that they were disappointed—angry, perhaps, but with nothing to do about it.

            It was then that she understood. She was being seen with the captain of the _Jackdaw_ and the original conqueror of the island. No pirate, however drunk, would dare to take away the whore of someone with that kind of status.

            Edward was faking it. A random, influential stranger was saving _her_.

            She was stunned by that fact for the rest of the jaunt, which made getting past people and keeping up the ruse effective, if a little confusing for her. By the time she had regained her senses, she and Edward were at the outskirts of the city.

            “Are you alright, lass?” the pirate captain asked her, releasing her arm and brushing her off a little. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but there wasn’t any time. I thought we could avoid some violence this way, like you wanted.” His eyes looked almost nervous and pleading, as if he truly regretted even causing her this much harm.

            She blinked and shook her head. “N-no, sir; it’s alright…t-thank you, so much.”

            His face warmed a little at her words. “Good. I’m glad; they deserved worse.”

            “What do you intend to do now, sir?” she asked nervously, shifting a little. For the most part, she wouldn’t mind providing some services in exchange for his help, but she knew that even that would feel wrong to her.

            Edward sighed and leaned against a platform nearby. “For one thing, stop calling me sir. You’re not a member of my crew, are you? It’s Edward. And you are?”

            “It’s Emilia, sir—I mean, Edward.”

            He smiled at her. “Emilia. That’s a pleasant name. You’re not from around here, are you, lass?”

            Emilia shook her head. “No, I’m not. I came here from England, actually.”

            “England, hmm? And what is a pretty Englander like you doing here? I doubt you came here expressly to become a whore, Emilia.” Despite the harshness of his words, Edward’s tone was still soft.

            The girl flushed a little. “N-no, not exactly…I came here to try to make a life for myself…it’s just taking a while, that’s all.”

            “You came to an island of pirates to make a life for yourself…really…and how did you accomplish that? Ships from England don’t particularly enjoy carrying passengers out here.”

            Emilia shifted a little, not quite looking at him. “I might have possibly stowed away on a ship a little…but I had no future at home, you have to understand! My family wasn’t well off, and they wanted to marry me to some horrible person…I couldn’t do it, really I couldn’t. I ran away out of fear, and now I’ve wound up here.”

            Edward listened carefully, surprised at some parts but not at others. “So you successfully hid on a ship that brought you here…sneaking aboard with pirates, are we?”

            Emilia chuckled a little out of nervousness. “Yes, well, pirates who happen to be drunk most of the time don’t check every nook and cranny of their ships expertly…and the few who did were easily bribed to keep quiet.” Her voice turned a little softer, shaded by tones of quiet regret. “That’s how I came to be a whore, you see. I had them keep quiet in exchange for my services, and once I reached this island, I already knew my way around a man well enough to charge money for it instead. It’s not that I want to, you know…but I see little other choice for someone as new and jobless as me.”

            Edward sighed, shaking his head at all of the information. This girl had gone through a lot in the past while she had been here. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he murmured empathetically. “Perhaps we can find a way around it. How old are you, Emilia?”

            “Would you believe eighteen?”

            Edward chuckled. “I’m not drunk enough for that yet, Emilia.”

            She grinned a little, feeling strangely more and more comfortable with the captain after all he’d done for her. “That could be fixed, you know.”

            “Something tells me you’re too young for spirits yet, lass,” Edward huffed in response. “What are you, sixteen?”

            “So what if I am?” she quipped back, shrugging her shoulders. “I can still drink.”

            He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not allowing you to drink, lass; not tonight, anyway. You must already be exhausted, at this hour of the night.”

            “I can handle myself,” she insisted, but her tone was light and teasing.

            “I’m sure you can,” the captain replied with a certain amount of warmth. The girl was certainly growing on him; it took some courage for a civilian to be snarky to any old pirate, much less himself. “But not tonight. Do you have a place to sleep?”

            “And why are you so fearful for me?” she questioned, her tone reminding Edward a little of Caroline. “You don’t know me; I was just a random whore being pursued in the streets. It’s not exactly a new thing, you know.”

            “I don’t approve of such things, Emilia. No pirate, mine or otherwise, is to touch someone without them wanting to be touched on my island.” He swiveled a blade between his fingers to emphasize his point. “That is, unless they want to face the punishment for it.”

            Emilia swallowed, her voice a little hoarse with gratitude. “This place is lucky to have someone like you on it…thank you, so much, for my life.”

            His eyes were warm for her, even though deep within she knew they housed wrath for her antagonists. “Of course, Emilia. If you don’t have a place for the night, you may stay with me…I assure you, I won’t touch you.”

            She smiled, genuine light shining through her eyes. “The place I usually stay will be so full tonight…I’d appreciate it, Edward. Thank you.”

            “No, Emilia. Thank you for the company.”

            The spent the rest of that night getting to know each other a little better. Edward treated her to an actually decent meal for once and taught her what he could about self-defense. She made him laugh with some of her more unique stories of her times both in England and in Great Inagua. They laid back on a platform in the clear night, and he showed her the stars and their meanings. Before they knew it, they were both cuddled together in exhaustion and fast asleep. Edward never touched her, or she him, and yet they had one of the most pleasant evenings either had partaken in for months.

            Come misty morning, when it was time for Edward to leave for his next mission, he was almost reluctant to leave the young girl. She was already stirring, but not yet awake. He placed a hastily scrawled note in her hand, leaving her with directions to the best tavern he knew and a recommendation from him for her to get a safer job there as a barmaid. He left her some coin, too, both for all of her trouble and as a start for a better life.

            “Fare thee well, Emilia,” he murmured as he walked off into the fog with his hidden blade at hand. “And may your life be pounds lighter than my own.”


End file.
